You faithful blog readers will remember the stories written for us by Eve Taylor, the wife of Bryant Taylor, son of Floyd Taylor, twin brother of Lloyd.
Eve wrote of being in Australia for the holidays, A Down Under Christmas, found on this blog under the May postings, The Home Front—WWII, on September 2nd, and A Pencil Behind My Ear, on August 19th.
Aunt CB has added to the Bryant tale:
They met on a blind date in May 1941. Evie was attending the U. of R., and to accommodate a friend, she agreed to the arrangement, although this type date was not quite to her taste. Her mother had made her a beautiful blue chiffon gown with black lace inserts on the long-skirt and a bolero jacket. This date was a formal dance. Her friend’s date had a cousin from LeRoy, who was attending Albany State College but unbeknownst to Evie, was willing to date because it was a chance for a free trip home. He also wanted to practice his dancing which he had been learning from the girls at the sorority house where he took care of the furnace.
The night arrived, and so did the two men. Evie saw this handsome curly haired fellow in a tux who handed her a gardenia corsage and heard him remark on her beautiful dress. Then they stepped out on the dance floor and she discovered that he was a superb dancer. They danced every dance until 4 am, never sat down and fell in love. They never fell out! They married one and a half years later.
That “handsome date” was my cousin, Bryant Taylor, youngest son of Floyd, my father’s twin. He was five years older than I was, but he was always a barrel of fun at any age. Growing up, the Taylors always had family dinners and picnics so that we cousins all knew one another well. Rexford, Bryant’s brother, was the more serious one, Bryant, the jokester.
This trait carried right through his life, full of adventure; Army Signal Corps in WWII, where he met the Pacific Ocean area, Hawaii, Philippines and Australia in preparation for the invasion of Japan where they expected 50% casualties. This, of course, never came about but his taste of Australia drew him back there years later with his family.
After the war he returned to LeRoy to his father’s store for a bit, then to share insurance business with him.
The court jester trait stayed with him though and served him well as he developed prostate cancer and then cancer of the colon. Visiting him during his hospice care, when his oldest son, Lance, and Evie cared for him at home, he’d take your hand lovingly, and roar as you jumped a mile for the buzzer he held in it went off with a tingle! He died in 1993 and the world is a sadder place without him.
Picture One: Bryant, Rexford Taylor May 1987
Picture Two: Evelyn & Bryant's wedding Oct. 9, 1942
Picture Three: Bryant 1941
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